Thursday 13 July at the Historic Marree Hotel (est 1883), South Australia

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1 Historical Society of the Northern Territory Patron: The Hon Austin Asche AC NEWSLETTER JULY 2017 PO Box 40544, Casuarina NT 0811 Mobile: Newsletter Editor: Bev Phelts HSNT Committee President: Matthew James; Vice President: Bev Phelts; Secretary: Janie Mason: Treasurer: Rosemary Chalmers; others - Brian Reid; Alan Powell; Earl James; Judy Boland; Clayton Frederickson; Derek Pugh; Roger FORTHCOMING EVENTS Thursday 13 July at the Historic Marree Hotel (est 1883), South Australia The owners of the Marree Hotel together with the John McDouall Stuart Society will be officially opening the John McDouall Stuart Museum which will form part of the Hotel. The event commences at 6.30pm with canapés, followed by a formal welcome, plaque unveiling and the official opening by Lois Litchfield. The Hotel would welcome any memorabilia of the Old Telegraph Line or antiquities that reflect the era of JMS. Any items would be on loan at the Museum in your name. Contact the Hotel of Accommodation (cabins) are available at the Oasis Caravan Park which is near the Hotel. Phone: Friday 21 July - National Trust & Historical Society Talk at Burnett House, Burnett Place, Myilly Point 5.30 for a 6pm start. The speaker will be Steve Farram on Charles Kirkland who arrived in Darwin in Kirkland proved to be one of the NT s most enduring and successful pioneers and was one of the best-known individuals in Palmerston/Darwin of his day. He had a long career as editor and owner of the Northern Territory Times and Gazette. He was also active in the social, civic and political life of the town and as a result became well-acquainted with all the major figures in the community Steve s talk will be based on his recent published book Charles James Kirkland: The Life and Times of a Pioneer Newspaperman in the Top End of Australia. The book will be on sale for $30. Entry: $2 for members, $5 for non-members. Food and drinks will be available to purchase. Telephone enquiries to Julie: BH, AH Members and guests are reminded that food and drink cannot be taken inside Burnett House

2 Genealogical Society of the NT August Senior s Month is holding sessions Discover more about your family history. Our exploring days are a great way to be introduced to our Library. Something for people of all ages, levels of knowledge and skills from beginner to expert. Meet people with similar interests learn about the resources in our Family History Centre Library, covering all of Australia and overseas. Morning and afternoon tea provided.- we thank the Office of Senior Territorians for their support. Exploring Days for August 2017 Thursday 3 from 9.30 am to 4.00 pm Thursday 10 from 9.30 am to 4.00 pm Thursday 17 from 9.30 am to 4.00 pm Thursday 24 from 9.30 am to 4.00 pm Thursday 31 from 9.30 am to 4.00 pm The Society is located at Unit 4, 84 Smith Street Darwin NT (opposite the Chinatown carpark entrance). Phone: or gsntinc@bigpond.net.au Open Hours: Monday and Tuesday 9.30 am to 5.15 pm Saturday 1pm to 5.30 pm Tuesday 5 September Launch of Life in Radio Land The book is on memoirs of VJY radio written by Sue Bandias and Janie Mason. It will be launched by the Speaker, Kezia Purich and the Foreword is written by Lauren Moss, Minister for Tourism and Culture. Save the date further details of the launch will be out in the next newsletter Saturday 21 October - History Colloquium - Save the Date Jot this event in your diaries. The colloquium will be held at the NT Library, Parliament House, Corner of Mitchell and Bennett Streets, Darwin. The colloquium is supported by Northern Territory Library, the Professional Historians Association (NT), the Centre for Environmental History at The Australian National University and Charles Darwin University. For any inquiries, contact Dr Steven Farram, Lecturer in North Australian and Regional Studies (History), Charles Darwin University, phone: steven.farram@cdu.edu.au October Royal Australian Historical Society Conference Knowing our History Planning is well underway for the 2017 RAHS Conference, which will be held in Cowra. The theme of the conference is Finding Lost Places, Lost People. Pre-conference drinks will be held at the Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre on Friday 27th October. Further details at

3 WANTED An NT Representative on the Federation of Australian Historical Societies (FAHS) Executive Committee The Federation was established in 1977, has eight constituent members, one in each state and territory, and is the national peak body representing the interests of about 1,000 historical societies and approaching 100,000 members throughout Australia. The FAHS communicates with governments and public officials to inform them about issues affecting Australian historical societies and museums, and to advocate their interests. The Historical Society has been a member of the FAHS for many years and represents the Territory. The Historical Society needs a volunteer to be the NT representative. The role involves a teleconference by phone quarterly and to attend the AGM. The AGM is usually held in the eastern states around October. The Federation pays for your airfare and the Historical Society contributes towards your accommodation. If you are interested and want to know more, contact Earl James on Phone: or ebmjames@bigpond.com A New Publication from the Historical Society An occasional paper by Janie Mason Beginning Experiences: Bush Nurse and Wife at Batchelor, living area for Rum Jungle Mine. This is Janie s personal account working in Batchelor in $10.00 ($9.10 &.90 GST) Postage & Handling $4.50 Open cut mine 1960s, now Rum Jungle Lake For a list of our publications, go to Please contact Bev on or hsnt@iinet.net.au if you wish to purchase any of our books. Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division Congratulations to HSNT member, Major Paul Anthony ROSENZWEIG who was awarded for service to military history preservation.

4 VALE - Vernon Thomas O Brien OBE Founding and Life Member of the Historical Society of the Northern Territory. By Earl James Vern O Brien was born on 24 December 1925 and passed away at the age of ninety-one on the 13 th June 2017 after a long fight with a brain tumour. He spent his early teenage years at the renowned Queensland school, Nudgee College and went on to study medicine at the Queensland University. After two years of such study he joined the Royal Australian Air Force and served as a radar technician until war s end. By that time his urge to be a doctor had waned and he decided to undertake more menial employment so he applied for a position with the Northern Territory Administration as a clerk. He arrived in the NT in 1946 and by 1948 he was again footloose so he applied for a cadetship in the profession of surveying to which he was appointed. This work kept him in Darwin until 1951 when he was sent to Alice Springs where he stayed for the next thirteen years. During his time in Alice Springs he qualified as a Licensed Surveyor and spent much of his time surveying Pastoral Lease boundaries throughout the central areas of the Territory and town lots in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek. In 1960, he led an expedition from Tennant Creek, across the Tanami Desert, to Hooker Creek Aboriginal Community (now Larjamanu) and on the return journey found the remains of the aeroplane Kookaburra which crashed in 1929 while looking for the lost Charles Kingsford Smith. The remains of the aircraft were later repatriated to Alice Springs. In 1964, he married his wife Jacqui and in the same year he was recalled to Darwin. By 1966 he had risen to be the Surveyor General of the Northern Territory. He was then appointed to be the Director of Lands and went on to become a member of the Legislative Council of the NT. In 1978, he became the Secretary of the Dept Mines and Energy. He retired in 1980 and joined the Genealogical Society of the NT where he worked studiously for the next thirty-five years researching place names and informal grave sites. He was chair of the NT Place Names Committee for as many years. Vern was a founding member of the Historical Society of the Northern Territory in 1964 and for a number of years he was its president. He was very active within the Society during the early years of his membership but as his position in government service progressed his active service within the Society waned. However, he remained a financial member of the Society for fifty years and in 2014 was elected to the grade of Life Member. Vernon could be described as an introspective person who was a tireless worker and one who would give whatever help that he could to anyone who asked for assistance, especially if that assistance revolved around an historical matter. He was courteous and un-assuming with not a hint of notoriety about his demeanour though in fact he was a very notable person. June Tomlinson, Secretary & Public Officer of the Genealogical Society NT writes that Vern joined our Library in 1983, he was awarded the 1 st Honorary Membership on 9 December 2000 for his outstanding contribution to not only NT research but also his work in the foundation of what many have come to know as our NT Pioneer and Death databases. HSNT member, Carl Cossill knew Vern quite well when I was working for the Lands Department and when I was putting together my reference book on the Surveying and Mapping of the Northern Territory. He had a very full life, and contributed greatly to the development of the Northern Territory. From his surveying cadetship in Alice Springs (with former Surveyor-General Peter Wells) to his eventual promotion to Surveyor-General, and Director of Lands and Mining; his position as head honcho of the Place Names Committee; and later as a member of the research staff of the Place Names Committee. Through his experience, he was always a valuable source of information in anything to do with Territory history. I can recall seeing him in his old age, walking the streets of Palmerston to keep all the bits moving. A big loss to the Territory, but his legacy will hopefully live on. Trevor Menzies delivered Vern s eulogy at his funeral on 21 June and recalled that Vern preferred to be in the field rather than the office. When the survey party returned to the office after a field trip, Vern would do his calculations and reports at night and over the weekend, so that he was ready to go bush again the next day. Vern s thirst for adventure was realised in 1960 when he led an exploratory survey to assess the country from Tennant Creek west across the Tanami desert to Hooker Creek. This country was largely unknown so it was a case of bush bashing through the scrub using compass and vehicle odometer for navigation. In 1963 Vern was promoted to Supervising Surveyor in the Darwin office so his days in the field came to an end. He even found time to marry Jacqui. It was not an easy ride for Vern before self-government when Lands and Survey was a Branch of the Northern Territory Administration that came under a Commonwealth Government Department. Land policy, procedures and finances 4

5 were the realm of the responsible Minister and senior bureaucrats based in Canberra. Vern s days in the office were often dominated by the telex machine which then was the main means of communication with Canberra. The frequent trips to Canberra then involved several days of travel due to the many sto overs and changes of flights en route. I m sure that on some days he must have wished he was back out bush running a pastoral lease boundary miles from anywhere. However, under Vern s direction the Lands Branch achieved a lot in terms of land development and land administration despite the cumbersome administrative agreements in place at the time. When he took office, construction of the suburb of Alawa was underway. When he left office the development of the northern suburbs had spread to Malak and the granting of development leases to construct Karama and Leanyer were in hand. Following self-government in 1978, Vern was appointed as the inaugural Secretary of the Department of Mines and Energy. He retired from that position two years later. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to surveying and land administration in the Territory, Vern was awarded the imperial honour of the Order of the British Empire in Trevor served on the Committee with Vern for nine years so he came to appreciate his knowledge of history and his enthusiasm for the job. Vern made life easy for Trevor and his fellow committee members because he did all the work. Along the pathway in Bicentennial Park on the Esplanade there are a series of tiles that commemorate 200 Remarkable Territorians. The name Vern O Brien is there. Undoubtedly Vern must be considered as one of the most remarkable of the remarkables. Vernon Thomas O Brien OBE, Life member of the Genealogical Society of the Northern Territory, Life Member of the Historical Society of the Northern Territory, Land Surveyor, Land Administrator, Place Names Expert you will be remembered as a truly great Territorian. Vern & Jacqui O Brien with Graham & Kath McMahon at Government House when Vern was awarded life membership of the Historical Society. Of the many boards and committees Vern was a member of, the Darwin Reconstruction Committee would have been one of the most significant and challenging being involved in the rebuilding of Darwin after Cyclone Tracy. In 2014, Vern was awarded life membership of the Historical Society at our 50 year anniversary held at Government House. He was presented with his honorary membership by the then Administrator, Sally Thomas. I already miss seeing Vern walking around the streets of Darwin heading in and out of the Gennies office. He always stopped for a chat. His dedication was exceptional when you consider that he still turned up at the Gennies office to work one morning before he took the lunchtime flight to Adelaide for his heart operation. Vern also had his own honorary desk and computer at the Survey-General s Office and the staff would give him first class treatment when he came for his weekly visit. 1 The HSNT Committee extends its sympathy to Jacqui and family. 1 information from Bev Phelts 5

6 HSNT Financial Housekeeping The Historical Society has changed bank accounts with a new one opened up with ANZ. ANZ meets our needs and allows the ability to pay for our accounts on line rather than by cheque. Details of our new account will be soon be made available on our web site and our 2018 membership forms. Balance Sheet as at June 2017 Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) As members will be aware from previous newsletters, the Historical Society has been investigating becoming a Deductible Gift Recipient [DGR]. This would enable those making donations to the Society to claim on taxation for philanthropic donation. The Society has had donations over the years including the recent donation which enabled purchase of History House. The March Annual General Meeting endorsed the proposal for the Society to make application to the Register of Cultural Organisations (ROCO) for DGR status with the Australian Taxation office. The application has now been submitted to ROCO for consideration probably in September A bank account has been opened for donations only, known as the Public Fund Account. A board of Janie Mason, Brian Reid and Grant Tambling has been appointed to administer the Public Fund and is responsible to the Council of the Society. It is hoped that with achievement of DGR status, author contributions for publishing will also be eligible to be treated as donations. The Society can then solicit for donations advising of tax deduction, not just to members, but also actively seek donations from interested public and private institutions and businesses. 6

7 HIGHLIGHTS FROM PAST EVENTS The Launch of The Intrepid Hilda Abbott written by Pam Oliver Pam relayed her talk on her book via video Photo provided by Lyn Reid Earl, Matthew & Wendy James Photo provided by Lyn Reid Brian Reid, Alan Powell & Steve Farram The book was launched by Alan Powell and Steve Farram was the Master of Ceremonies Photo provided by Lyn Reid Alan Powell launching the book Photo provided by Craig Bellamy 7

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9 Chief Minister s NT History Book Awards - at the NT Library The winner of this year s award is Stuart Traynor s book Alice Springs: From Singing Wire to Iconic Outback Town. Present were the Administrator, John Hardy & Mrs Hardy; Darwin City Council Lord Mayor, Katrina Fong Lim; Member for Pt Darwin, Paul Kirby & Member for Karama, Ngaree Ah Kit Stuart receives his award from the Chief Minister, Michael Gunner Launch of Bloody Bastard Beautiful written by Mocco Wollert at the Spice Garden Eating House & Outdoor Bar, Nightcliff The launch attracted a crowd of 70 odd fabulous old Darwinites. Mocco Wollert Sandy & Grant Tambling who launched Mocco s book. 9

10 Brian Reid, Lord Mayor, Katrina Fong Lim & Chris Nathanal Janie Mason, Lyn & Brian Reid Judy & Col Beard with Simon Andropov (ex Public Works, Papua New Guinea) Marion Farram, Janie Mason, Craig Bellamy, Deidrie Fitzgerald (Melbourne) & Steve Farram 10

11 Adelaide to Darwin by Bicycle 1897 Extract taken from the John McDouall Stuart Society Incl. June 2017 Newsletter 11